Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. (KJV, Matthew 5:5-9)
Humility or humbleness is a quality of being courteously respectful of others. It is the opposite of aggressiveness, arrogance, boastfulness, and vanity. Rather than, "Me first," humility allows us to say, "No, you first, my friend." Humility is the quality that lets us go more than halfway to meet the needs and demands of others.
Friendships and marriages are dissolved over angry words. Resentments divide families and co-workers. Prejudice separates race from race and religion from religion. Reputations are destroyed by malicious gossip. Greed puts enmity between rich and poor. Wars are fought over arrogant assertions.
A demeanor of humility is exactly what is needed to live in peace and harmony with all persons.
Humility dissipates anger and heals old wounds. Humility allows us to see the dignity and worth of all people. Humility distinguishes the wise leader from the arrogant power-seeker.
Acting with humility does not in any way deny our own self worth. Rather, it affirms the inherent worth of all persons. Some would consider humility to be a psychological malady that interferes with "success." However, wealth, power or status gained at the expense of others brings only anxiety -- never peace and love.
Better is a dish of vegetables where love is, than a fattened ox and hatred with it. (NAS, Proverbs 15:17)
Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice. (NIV, Proverbs 16:8)
Do to others as you would have them do to you. "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. (NIV, Luke 6:31-35)
World Scripture
HUMILITY
Humility is an essential attitude for success in the spiritual life. Any self-conceit, whether nurtured by superior intelligence, wealth, a high position, or the praise of others, is an obstacle on the path. Genuine humility is not posturing. It requires a constant willingness to deny oneself, to be critical of oneself, and to be open to Heaven's guidance even when it differs from one's own preconceived concepts.
We open with passages which set forth the value of humility, meekness, and modesty. Humility requires sincerity and honesty; thus some passages liken the humble person to a little child, whose natural spontaneity and acceptance of life is the antithesis of the often complicated
personality of the adult with its many masks, hidden resentments, and prejudices. Here is also the wisdom of the paradox (see Reversal, pp. 544-50) that the person who is humble and self-effacing ultimately prospers and wins more respect from others than the person who is proud
and powerful.
Next come passages enjoining humility before God and the recognition that the success of all our endeavors ultimately depends on God's favor. This is the attitude expressed by the common Muslim saying insha'llah, "God willing." The humble person does not regard his possessions or accomplishments as his own, but as a gift of God, to whom is due all thanks.
A third group of passages meditate on the insignificance, transience, and lowness of the human being, who is nothing but a puff of wind, a bag of excrement, food for worms. Finally, we conclude with passages which warn against letting the praise of others or great learning or high position go to the head and cause self-conceit. Indeed, it is those who are most favored with talent, intelligence, and worldly success who most often succumb to pride and thus lose their way.
It is humility that exalts one and favors him against his friends.
African Traditional Religions. Kipsigis Proverb
(Kenya).
Successful indeed are the believers,
Who are humble in their prayers,
and who shun vain conversation,
and who are payers of the poor-due,
and who guard their modesty.
Islam. Qur'an 23.1-5
The Lamenter [who is seeking a vision] cries, for he is humbling himself, remembering his nothingness in the presence of the Great Spirit.
Native American Religions. Black Elk, Sioux Tradition
Harithah ibn Wahb al-Khuza`i tells how he heard the Prophet say, "Have I not taught you how the inhabitants of Paradise will be all the humble and the weak, whose oaths God will accept when they swear to be faithful? Have I not taught you how the inhabitants of hell will be all the cruel beings, strong of body and arrogant?"
Islam. Hadith of Bukhari
Within the world the palace pillar is broad,
but the human heart should be modest.
Shinto. Moritake Arakida, One Hundred Poems about the World
Be humble, be harmless,
Have no pretension,
Be upright, forbearing;
Serve your teacher in true obedience,
Keeping the mind and body in cleanness,
Tranquil, steadfast, master of ego,
Standing apart from the things of the senses,
Free from self;
Aware of the weakness in mortal nature.
Hinduism. Bhagavad Gita 13.7-8
Matthew 5.5: Cf. Matthew 23.12, p. 545; Philippians 2.6-11, p. 616. Qur'an 23.1-5: Cf. Qur'an 31.18-19, p. 409; 7.55, p. 828. On the Prophet's humility, see Hadith, pp. 658f. Bhagavad Gita 13.7-8: Cf. Gauri Sukhmani 18, M.5, p. 818. Subdue pride by modesty, overcome hypocrisy by simplicity, and dissolve greed by contentment. Jainism. Samanasuttam 136
Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.
Christianity. Bible, Luke 18.16-17
He who knows the masculine but keeps to the feminine,
Becomes the ravine of the world.
Being the ravine of the world,
He dwells in constant virtue,
He returns to the state of the babe.
He who knows the white but keeps to the black,
Becomes the model of the world.
Being the model of the world,
He rests in constant virtue,
He returns to the infinite.
He who knows glory but keeps to disgrace,
Becomes the valley of the world.
Being the valley of the world,
He finds contentment in constant virtue,
He returns to the Uncarved Block.
Taoism. Tao Te Ching 28
Do not say about anything, "I am going to do that tomorrow," without adding, "If God will." Remember your Lord whenever you forget, and say, "Perhaps my Lord will guide me even closer than this to proper conduct."
Islam. Qur'an 18.23-24
Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and get gain;" whereas you do not know about tomorrow. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and we shall do this or that." As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
Christianity. James 4.13-16
All men are children of Adam, and Adam was created from soil.
Islam. Hadith of Tirmidhi
Be of an exceedingly humble spirit, for the end of man is the worm.
Judaism. Mishnah, Abot 4.4
Reflect upon three things, and you will not come within the power of sin:
know from where you came, to where you are going, and before whom you will in future have to give account and reckoning. From where you came~from a fetid drop; to where are you going~to a place of dust, worms, and maggots; and before whom you will in future have to give account and reckoning before the Supreme King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.
Judaism. Mishnah, Abot 3.1
Confucius said, "A gentleman does not grieve that people do not recognize his merits; he grieves at his own incapacities."
Confucianism. Analects 14.32
To know when one does not know is best.
To think one knows when one does not know is a dire disease.
Taoism. Tao Te Ching 71
The fool who knows that he is a fool is for that very reason a wise man; the fool who thinks he is wise is called a fool indeed.
Buddhism. Dhammapada 63
Tao Te Ching 28: The 'Uncarved Block' is the state of primitive simplicity
without any pretense or artificiality. It can also mean the purity of
one's original nature.
Subhuti, what do you think? Does a holy one say within himself, "I have
obtained Perfective Enlightenment"? Subhuti replied, "No, World-honored
One... If a holy one of Perfective Enlightenment said to himself, Such am
I, he would necessarily partake of the idea of an ego-identity, a personality, a being, a separated individuality."
Buddhism. Diamond Sutra 9
In the barren north, there is a sea, the Celestial Lake. In it there is a fish, several thousand li in width, and no one knows how many li in length. It is called the leviathan (kun). There is also a bird, called the roc (p'eng), with a back like Mount T'ai and wings like clouds across the sky. Upon a whirlwind it soars up to a height of ninety thousand li. Beyond the clouds and atmosphere, with only the blue sky above it, it then turns south to the southern ocean.
A quail laughs at it, saying, "Where is that bird trying to go? I spurt up with a bound, and I drop after rising a few yards. I just flutter about among the brushwood and the bushes. This is also the perfection of flying. Where is that bird trying to go?" This is the difference between the great and the small. Similarly, there are some men whose knowledge is sufficient for the duties of some office. There are some men whose conduct will benefit some district. There are some men whose virtue befits him for a ruler. There are some men whose ability wins credit in the country. In their opinion of themselves, they are just like what is mentioned above.
Taoism. Chuang Tzu 1
Chuang Tzu 1: Cf. Analects 7.25, p. 413.
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